The remote and magnificent Barra del Colorado Refuge is another of the diverse and beautiful parks in Costa Rica. Formally known as National Wildlife Refuge Barra del Colorado, the wildlife nature reserve is located in the province of Limon along the northern border with Nicaragua. Near the Tortuguero National Park on the south side (the two places are ecologically similar). The Barra del Colorado refuge is bordered by the Rio San Juan on the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

Located along the glorious Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, the Barra del Colorado Refuge has an area of 92,000 hectares of land and rainy rainforests that are the habitats of many indigenous flora and fauna of the country. Reaching this place is a bit complicated because it is located about 225 kilometers northeast of the capital city of San Jose. You can reach the place by renting a boat and go through the north canal of Limon, or you can take a domestic flight from the Juan Santamaria International Airport to a private landing zone near the village of Barra de Colorado who is inside the shelter along the mouth of the Colorado River. It is just a 30 minutes flight to arrive here from San Jose. Most people come here through water because is easy to see beautiful scenery and listening the sounds of the nature throughout the entire trip.

The best time to visit the Barra del Colorado Refuge is from February to April when the weather is dry and you can see alligators, monkeys, toads, crocodiles and a variety of other animals like birds and reptiles within the splendours trees that are found here. This shelter has many rivers, creeks and lagoons that make it a fantastic place to fish, for that reason this place is within the best destinations for recreational fishing in inland Costa Rica. The place is famous for sport fishing lovers for having different species as the Snook, the snapper, the mackerel and the tarpon. But in the waters of the Rio San Juan is common the Full shark that has migrated upstream from the Atlantic Ocean. You can rent a boat here, or do it through the many cabins that are in the place.

While the north side of the Rio San Juan near the border with Nicaragua is primarily a evergreen forest, the south side of the river has been heavily exploited becoming a marshy land, unfit for agriculture or livestock. The conservatives are very actively involved in protecting this refuge for future operations. Despite this Barra del Colorado Refuge is a great place for tourists.

Heredia is a very interesting province of Costa Rica. The province is located in north-central part of the country. To the north it borders the San Juan River (border with Nicaragua), at east with the province of Limon, at south with the province of San Jose and at west with the province of Alajuela.

Heredia is located a very short distance of the capital San Jose. The lush and glorious province of Heredia is one of the most beautiful provinces of Costa Rica and its known for its green hills full of coffee plantations and its volcanic national park. This mountainous region also has dense tropical forests, stunning waterfalls and impressive rivers, which make it an ideal destination for those who enjoy nature. If you are in the region, definitely worth visiting the province of Heredia as it offers a plethora of activities both natural and adventure.

The capital of the province shares the same name of the province itself and is located only 10 kilometers north of the capital San Jose. Heredia is one of the largest cities in Costa Rica, with a very elegant environment. It is proud for having all the attractions that Costa Rica has to offer and this area is a great place to camp when a tourist is visiting the country. That is because in Heredia you are out of the tumult and trafficking of the capital and close enough to being able to enjoy everything that San Jose offers. With a small town atmosphere, in Heredia is easy to find enough hotels and accommodations to fit all budgets. Visitors can accommodate from resorts in the mountains to modern hotels in the heart of Heredia.

Heredia has several tourist attractions but probably the most famous is the Volcano Barva within the Braulio Carrillo National Park that is one of the few volcanoes that tourists can climb all the years. At the base of Volcán Barva are some wonderful green pastures and a majestic cloud forest near its top, where you can stay in a cottage with fireplace and some quiet restaurants that serve food grilled over wood timber of coffee. It is an idyllic environment for those who wish to enjoy a holiday surrounded by nature.

Braulio Carrillo and Tapanti National Parks are located north of Heredia and are filled with a plethora of wildlife. They are really beautiful with a dense forest due to the constant rain and offer to the ornithologists a rare vision of the quetzal, one of the most culturally significant birds in Central America. Among the animals that one can find here there are the puma and the tapir that tend to live in more dense vegetation. Another attraction that exists in Heredia includes the Butterfly Farm, The World of Snakes and the Zoo Bird, which provide a less dangerous but equally fantastic view of the wildlife of Costa Rica. The province of Heredia is very picturesque, full of history and old traditions. It has beautiful wooded mountains, plains and valleys watered by rivers which occasionally have waterfalls, lagoons or transit navigable for small boats, it also have attractitions as the Bosquede la Hoja, Monte de la Cruz, San Jose de la Montaña, Braulio Carrillo National Park in the sector of the Barva Volcano, the waterfalls of La Paz and the Angel. The region of Sarapiqui has been characterized by an increasing amount of tourist attractions like the practice of canopy, water rafting and hiking in the mountains.

In the other hand in the region of Santo Domingo is located the INBioparque which seeks to promote the value of biodiversity and the importance of conservation through recreation and education of visitors. Within its facilities can be found flora and fauna typical of the area that is being studied by the scientists.

The Birdwatching in Costa Rica is an extraordinary experience, with 812 recorded species with proof to date (Official List of Birds of Costa Rica, the Scientific Committee of the Ornithological Association of Costa Rica - published in April 2007).

Costa Rica offers to the bird watchers, great opportunities to spot different species of birds within relatively short distances, involving a wide variety of habitats in the six regions of the ornithological country, since the sea level to mountains over 3000 meters high

It may surprise to many people to learn that in a country with so many species of exotic birds the national bird is the common yiguirro, a small bird of brown color that can be found throughout the country. It’s easy to hear the singing males during the breeding season which runs from March to May and that the villagers call “calling the rains.”

Bird Watching in Costa Rica

The four major areas in Costa Rica where you can watch birds correspond to some degree with the major geographical divisions of the country:

• The lowlands of the North Pacific.

• The lowlands of the South Pacific.

• The lowlands of the interior of the country.

• The Highlands in the interior on the country.

The dry part of Guanacaste, located at the north of the lowlands of the Pacific is a habitat shared by only a few birds from other parts of the country. It is however a perfect place for acuatic birds because it has a lot of estuaries, lagoons and wetlands that form
the Tempisque Basin that has the biggest variety of freshwater birds in Centroamerica. In this area is located the Palo Verde National Park, at the mouth of the Tempisque river which is one of the best sites for bird lovers in all the country. On the other hand, the lowlands of the south Pacific are home to many species of neotropical birds common in South America as the jacamares, many parrots and antbirds. In this area within the forest the air is wet and cool and under the green of the trees is easy to hear the sounds of the birds.

In Costa Rica the birds are not shy and depending on the season, location and clearly of their lucky, the tourists can see dozens of bird species in a single day. Many tourism companies offer guided tours of birds as well as study tours. The country also has lodges in the mountains specialized in birdwatching.

But the heart of the jungle is not the best place to watch birds because of the density of the foliage that prevents locate the birds because of the confusing patterns of light and shadow. If you want to get best results you have to seek clean strip of forest or a river where it will be easier to find the birds. The large size of the population of birds in Costa Rica has led them to a fierce competition to find food. That’s why the evolution has caused that some birds develop unique methods to search for food. For example, a bird named Attila is a ruthless murderer who eats his victims after crushing them against a tree. It feeds mainly on frogs.

The guided tours in Costa Rica will take you to the best destinations for the observation of the birds in the country for an unforgettable visit. There are a lot tourist companies in Costa Rica that can help you for planning your bird watching vacation assisting you with technical questions in the area. Also this companies organizes tours to the best locations that make your trip the best experience you could possibly have in this country.

Playa Esterillos is a beautiful beach located in the province of Puntarenas, near Parrita, between Playa Bejuco and Playa Hermosa. The access to Playa Esterillos can be done from the north or south through the Costanera Sur highway passing near Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park. From there the traveler goes south on a journey that takes about 20 minutes. The trip from San Jose can take 4 to 5 hours by car. The access to the place is very easy in comparison with other beaches that are more remote.
Playa Esterillos is a gray sand beach with pristine and blue water with more than 6 kilometers long coast and moderate to strong waves, very good for practitioners of surfing. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in the province of Puntarenas, with lush vegetation and small mangrove estuaries, a feature which owes its name. Because on the strength of its tides, swimmers must take extreme precautions when swimming to avoid a possible accident. Playa Esterillos has a warm and sunny weather thought almost the year making it perfect for people who enjoy sunbathing on the beach.
In the western sector splendid inlets of warm water inlets are produced, perfects for taking a bath, making it one of the favorites spots for tourists, who can also can swim in a small cascade that drops from one of the rocky promontories of the area. When the tide goes down Playa Carrillos shows a large beach made of fine sand. The tourism development of Playa Carrillos is moderate, with hotels, cabins and camping areas, making it an ideal place for vacationers who want to visit a little crowded place. It also has full service water, electricity and communications so the tourists will not suffer any discomfort.

Tourists can enjoy many activities such as camping, hiking the edges of mangroves, observation from the promontories near the beach, horseback riding and water sports among others. Because of the moderate tourism and real estate developmet the night life in the place is not very exciting compared to other places like Jaco, however is the perfect place for tourists who enjoy natural beauty and tranquility of places like this where the traveler can rest and relax.

Located in the beautiful central Pacific coast of Costa Rica, this small town of Dominical is a paradise with a beautiful beach where waves can reach 10 feet in height. Dominical is located 40 kilometers south of the famous Jaco Beach in the province of Puntarenas and is a beach only for experienced surfers. Attractive to surfers not only from Costa Rica but the rest of the world, this little village is a great place to relax and enjoy various water sports and activities.

Dominical is a tiny coastal village located 28 miles south of Quepos and the majestic Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most important touristic places of Costa Rica. Dominical is a strip of beach of4 kilometers with few hotels, cabins, lodges or restaurants in the area. With its magnificent landscape of forests and green palms, this beach is a great place to observe the birds and take a tour of the surroundings. To reach Dominical is necessary to drive from San Jose via San Isidro de General on the Talamanca Mountains or you can reach across the highway from the coast from Quepos passing through the town of Hacienda Baru.

With an almost perfect weather throughout the year, Dominical has almost all the time a warm temperature during the day and a cold breeze coming from the sea during the night. Many of the surfers who come tend to sleep on the beach under the stars. However, there are lodgings for all budgets. The meals are a fabulous experience in Dominical, especially if you love food from the sea. There are several local restaurants or “soda”, these places normally serve fresh lobster and shrimp or even a delicious fish or crab.

It is almost impossible to swim here due to heavy waves and strong tides, but you can enjoy kayaking, scuba diving or snorkeling. Also the tourist can enjoy programmed riding tours to the waterfalls of Nayuca that are close or maybe can visit the Whale National Marine Park which is home to large numbers of marine mammals besides other animal as turtles and whales who come here during the mating and breeding season. If you want you can plan a day trip to the beautiful Caño Island that is located near the coast. This island is considered one of the best spots for snorkeling adventure in the world and is home to an impressive marine life of all kinds such as sharks, turtles and whales that come to the mating season and animation in the same way as Whale National Marine Park. Because of that one of most interesting activities for the tourist is the whale watching.

It is not known why, but observes the whales and dolphins have always fascinated us since the beginning of the world. They are among the most famous animals on the planet interesting for its sociability and clear intelligence and especially of the dolphins who express affinity for the human being. That’s why it has become increasingly common for tourism the trips to watch whales and dolphins in their natural environment, in the middle of open sea where these creatures can swim freely.

Costa Rica has coastline on both sides of the national territory. The Pacific coast and the Caribbean coast. This makes Costa Rica a country with rich marine, despite not having large reefs it have a wide variety of biological groups. However one such group is not exactly fish, but marine mammals, cetaceans.
In Costa Rica cetaceans represent the third group of mammals with more species
in our country, after the bats and rodents
We can find on both coasts, some are frequent visitors, others are residents.
To be able to observe whales is necessary to be very aware of three things:

-Do not get to much closer to, recommending a distance of 150 meters from mothers with offspring and 100 meters from individuals alone (in the case whales). In the case of dolphins often they are the ones who come to the boats, so it is recommended to lower the speed and not to cross in front of them.

-Have enough patience because not always is easy to see these animals.

-Use the necessary equipment and travel with someone with the required experience.

Remember that it is extremely important not to cause any stress or endanger our lives or those of Cetaceans and their offspring. Recall that the whales come to Costa Rica to have their young and breed that is why we must be very careful because their behavior is not equal to many times that we see on television. They need their space, so we must respect them.
In our Pacific coast is more common to see them in the case of the whales in the months January to March and June to September.
The dolphins can be seen throughout the year.
Some of the areas most famous for whale watching and dolphins in Costa Rica are:

• Coronado Bay in the South Pacific.
• Osa Peninsula and surrounding areas.
• Golfo Dulce.
• Guanacaste and Nicoya Peninsula.
• Southern Caribbean

However the most famous place to see whales and dolphins in Costa Rica is Parque Marino Ballena located between Punta Uvita and Punta Piñuela in the south pacific in a region called Osa. Is an important place where the tourist can see interesting animals as the famous Humpback whale